While the government has kept the economic activities running on a limited scale by relaxing the curfew, it doesn’t look like that anyone’s concerned about the education. This is extremely sad that even after all the educational institutions of the country remaining closed for almost two weeks, no concern can be noticed among the policymakers. The movement, university teachers had started on 1 July with the demand of compulsory pension scheme ‘Prottoy’ being cancelled, is still going on.
Meanwhile, the students had started their movement with the demand of quota reform in government jobs. More than 200 people have been killed in the violence that erupted centering this movement.
Unprecedented damage has been done to properties of the state. A huge number of establishments including educational institutes have been affected. Ultimately, the government imposed curfew to bring the situation under control. The ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations had to be suspended several times because of the movement. Apart from that, the examinations had also been suspended in Sylhet region due to floods.
The latest update is that the HSC and equivalent examinations scheduled between 28 July and 1 August has also been suspended in all the education boards. Earlier, HSC and equivalent examinations of four dates had also been suspended in two phases. The exam from 19 July was suspended at first. Then the exams from 21, 23 and 25 July were also suspended in every board.
Alongside millions of students, their parents are also worried about the HSC examinations. If the HSC exams are delayed, the results as well as the admission in universities will also be delayed. The educational institutions have not completely overcome the impacts of corona pandemic yet.
All the educational institutes of the country are closed at this moment. Whereas the educational institutions remaining closed even for a day causes a loss to millions of students, the loss of education caused from the educational institutions being shut for this prolonged period can be predicted easily.
There is no precedent for all educational institutions across the country to be closed for so long except for the corona epidemic. There’s no precedent of all educational institutions in the country remaining closed for so many days except for the time of the corona pandemic.
If the educational institutions remain closed like this for days, the country will not only go merit-less but it will also be devoid of education. If the policymakers of the government don’t want to face a situation like that, arrangements have to be made to hold the suspended exams immediately.
Seeing the speeches and statements made by the ministers of the government it seems like the educational institutions will be reopened when the situation becomes normal. And, arrangements will be made to hold the HSC exams again. They are talking about students’ safety as well.
However, they did not try to understand the aspirations of those who continued with the movement for almost a month. Arrangements of reopening the campuses have to be made through discussions with the protesting students.
When the government already thinks that the main demand of the students has been met, what’s the problem in sitting down with them to come to an understanding about the remaining ones? Those who are leading the quota reform movement are still under intimidation. Cases are being filed against them indiscriminately.
In order to restore a normal and peaceful environment in the educational institutes, all the cases filed against the protesters have to be withdrawn. And, the harassment must be stopped.
A normal environment cannot be restored in the educational institutions just with the law and order enforcement forces. The government must remember that the economic losses might be met with money, but the loss of education cannot be recovered in any way. The longer the government delays, the more the loss of education will keep increasing.